Any Grado fan who hasn't heard this model MUST check it out.
Reviews by Nick01
COMFORT:
Unlike the comfy pads, which people complain about itching, or ears getting hot and unlike the bowl pads, which cause pain on many people ears. The superbowl pads (or bagel pads) are supremely comfortable for one simple reason, they don't touch your ears at all, ok I lied...maybe they don't touch 98% of your ears (unless you have really big ears). So no itching, no sweating, no pain.
BASS:
Sooooo good, just right, no thump thump thump like my Audio Technica A700, I would venture to call the bass as crisp. It's deep, full, and very detailed. Please try a few tracks from Armin Van Buuren to find out how crispy the bass is.
MID:
thin & hollow sounding compared to a normal Grado (my normal Grado was an MS2). I guess this is the cost of creating a large soundstage. But I still find it acceptable and a welcome alternative for times when you get sick of the normal Grado midrange.
TREBLE: sizzling, screeching, piercing, every sssss, every cccchhhhhh, every ssshhhhh is multiplied ten fold. If you think normal Grado is harsh and bright, wait till you try the Statement hehe. Grado haters now have one more reason to hate Grado headphones
Unlike the comfy pads, which people complain about itching, or ears getting hot and unlike the bowl pads, which cause pain on many people ears. The superbowl pads (or bagel pads) are supremely comfortable for one simple reason, they don't touch your ears at all, ok I lied...maybe they don't touch 98% of your ears (unless you have really big ears). So no itching, no sweating, no pain.
BASS:
Sooooo good, just right, no thump thump thump like my Audio Technica A700, I would venture to call the bass as crisp. It's deep, full, and very detailed. Please try a few tracks from Armin Van Buuren to find out how crispy the bass is.
MID:
thin & hollow sounding compared to a normal Grado (my normal Grado was an MS2). I guess this is the cost of creating a large soundstage. But I still find it acceptable and a welcome alternative for times when you get sick of the normal Grado midrange.
TREBLE: sizzling, screeching, piercing, every sssss, every cccchhhhhh, every ssshhhhh is multiplied ten fold. If you think normal Grado is harsh and bright, wait till you try the Statement hehe. Grado haters now have one more reason to hate Grado headphones
Syros
Many thanks for the treble warning!
timoteo
I listened to these a week or two ago at my local audio dealer. I did not like them (and I own Grado SR-325i's). I very much agree with Nick01 about them sounding hollow. They have a LOT of bass, but I personally felt it was way too much and it didn't seem as "tight"(?) as on my 325i's - just bigger, more, and maybe deeper bass. The phones themselves are huge -they do cover the ears well but they felt "floppy" on my head. I personally didn't find them a step up from my SR-325i's. I guess I didn't notice the treble issue that Nick01 mentions. I couldn't wait to get them off my head because I hated the way they sound SO much!
xylin6
now that a couple years have passed since this review i'd like to know if the burn in time reduced any of the treble/sibilance issues,and perhaps more importantly if you experimented with different pads.i found various pads in the SR series Grados make an IMMENSE difference in not only perceived volume levels but extreme differences in bass and treble response.I haven't ever owned the high end Grados but I do own the SR60i and the SR80i .when I purchased my SR80i earlier this year I was stunned when i first put them on at how weak and distant they sounded compared to my 3.5 year old SR60i and also the volume seemed a LOT lower.then I looked at my SR60i and realized how worn in and soft the pads were compared to the new much thicker much harder new pads on the SR80i so I quickly switched them out and suddenly my SR80i just sang! the volume was doubled (if not more) the bass and mids were gorgeous and detailed and clear as could be and the only thing I wasn't immediately happy with was the highs as they were a bit too bright on some music,but that changed after a hundred hours of burn in and now they sound gorgeous. so if you haven't tried some older softer comfy pads on your GS1000i please do,and if you don't own any comfies I would suggest ordering some but I wouldn't order the Grado ones as they don't tend to be as soft and are (for me at least) too thick.there are plenty of third party companies who sell pads which fit any of the Grado's though and I bet You would be surprised at the difference.I certainly was. I own a pair of the L Cush Bowl ear pads and hate them,even worn in they just make the music sound too distant and lack too much bass (not that the SR60i or SR80i are very bass prominent in the first place,but with my Sony F807's EQ adjusted they have just the right amount. anyway just a suggestion.Thanks for a great and honest review.
